SHIFTED
by BraveChicken
Summary: Living in the sewers isn't the safest environment for any creature. The turtles knew this. But when the Earth itself erupts destroying their lives as well as their home, the damage left among the wreckage is devastating. When there is no tangible structure to hold onto, family becomes the strongest of foundations.


**SHIFTED.**

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A sudden crash awoke the previously slumbering turtles with a start. Raph, being the natural-borne protector of the group, was on his feet in an instant, his sais posed in a defensive stance while Donatello instinctively grabbed hold of his electronic sensors in hopes of discerning whether the noise was coincidental or an actual foe. Leonardo, however, was forced into his position as a comforter as a recently blinded Michelangelo clung to the safety of his brother with all the might of a frightened kitten.

"Shh… calm down, Mike, its...I'm sure its nothing, okay?" Leonardo soothed as he rubbed circles along Michelangelo's small shell.

All was silent, save for the hitched breaths of their youngest brother. After a few moments, Donatello spoke up saying, "Guys, my sensors don't indicate anything organic. It was probably just a small aftershock, again. Atleast...atleast they're slowing down." He mumbled weakly in hopes of raising their spirits. After all, four days of constant survival instinct can really wear a turtle down, especially with the optimist of the group so terribly injured. The elder brothers had to remind themselves that the utter laceration of his eye was not particularly fatal. Their own little silver-lining amongst the utter hell that had erupted.

Crawling towards the huddled form of two of his brothers, Donatello's voice rose to a gentler rouse, "Since we're all up already, I might as well check on your eye, Mike."

Leo nodded in approval, nudging the shaking turtle as he instinctively huddled closer into his older brother's plastron.

"You can let go now." Leo chuckled, though the tone was dry with a weariness of a heavy burden.

A grunt sounded within the background followed quickly by a small cough as raph finally shifted out of his protective stance.

"I'm gonna check the perimeter, if its all the same to you, fearless." The nickname a reminder of happier times. Leo smiled at the name. Despite its occasional profane use, it was more often than not a term of endearment. Taking a deep breath, Leonardo replied, his voice quiet with a stoic wisdom of sorts.

"That's fine, but don't go too far. We...we can't lose another, okay?"

A melancholy salute alerted Leonardo to Raph's agreement as he staggered off into the darkness that threatened to engulf the brothers.

"Good job, Mike, now hold still, okay? " Don ordered amongst an array of mumbles, "It's still incredibly swollen, but the cut appears to be fighting the infection nicely. Its really the best we can ask for at this moment. This is gonna sting, okay?"

"Here, squeeze my hand, okay Mike?" Leo offered as he easily slid his hand into his brothers nervous grip. A bruised hand and multiple pained hisses later left one thing left to check. Sighing deeply in hopes of quieting his suddenly frantic nerves, Don lifted his flashlight towards his brother's face, the air quieting with each pounding second.

"Now, tell me if you see _anything_, okay Mike?"

"You got it, Doc." Mike replied, his voice hoarse and oddly tight, a result of similar emotions racing through his confused head.

Seconds ticked by, the air stretching alongside the time until a quiet voice resounded, the pitch far higher than normal as tears threatened to choke out the sentence entirely.

"Nothing, Donny. I can't see a damn thing."

Two somber sighs floated up amongst the muffled sniffles of a turtle trying desperately to remain strong.

"I know this is terrifying, Mikey, but there's still a possibility it could be temporary, okay?" Don reasoned comfortingly, though they all knew it was a rather empty plea. While the three brothers had been in the living room at the time of the earthquake, Michelangelo had been preparing dinner in the kitchen. The sheer force of the disturbance crumbled many of the supports within their home. The resulting crash separated the youngest turtle from the rest of his family as well as creating a chain-reaction of sorts. He dodged the falling fridge and flaming stove with amazing precision but to no avail as the entire kitchen ceiling collapsed without its columns for support. The shrill screech of utter agony will forever haunt the brothers' nightmares as they soon discovered their baby brother beneath the rubble, his right eye ripped apart by an iron support beam. Though all the turtles left the destruction with various injuries, it was obvious Michelangelo had suffered the worst.

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